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The more I read the more confused I get and keep changing our itinerary. Hoping one of you experts can help me out. We are a retired couple making our first (and probably only) visit to Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, and Glacier. We are flying in and out of SLC Aug 28th to Sept 14, 2014. Since we arrive in SLC very late we are staying 3 nights there before driving to Grand Tetons for 3 nights. On Sept. 3rd we will be driving from Jackson Hole to Yellowstone Lake Hotel so we will have several hours that first day. We will be staying there for 3 nights before leaving the park through Gardiner toward Glacier. But we are only traveling as far as Paradise Valley (Livingston area) that night so we will also have most of that 4th day before we leave Yellowstone. We’d like to see as many of the sights as possible. We love being outside and doing short walks. Thanks for your suggestions.

Pam, Since the road from the Lake Hotel to Old Faithful will be closed from West Thumb to Old Faithful in September and we will have to drive up around the Norris Canyon Road, do you still recommend that we drive all the way to Old Faithful Visitor Center first before stopping at any of the other geysers or areas we will be passing?

Hmmm....that is the night you are going from Lake to OF, right? I don't think it makes a difference as you can see them as you go or go directly to OF and pick up the basins between there and Madison the next morning as you head to Gardiner or Paradise Valley. However, if you want to do them on the way down to OF you can certainly do so.

I usually head to OF first but that is because I am obsessed with seeing Riverside and Grand geysers erupt and want a longer *window* of time for that to happen. I think it might also depend on how warm it is when you visit. I always get hot in the Upper Geyser Basin. The ground there is very white from the geyser sinter so it reflects a lot of sun and just feels really hot to me. If it is summer when I visit I like to get the Upper Geyser Basin done in the AM before it gets really hot. If it is chilly when you are there, you might want to reverse that thinking!

Unless someone has a minimum of a month I adamantly recommend that you pick either Crown of the Continent [Glacier] or Greater Yellowstone and FOCUS. Doing both in just a couple of weeks means you're going to spend far too much a percentage of your time in your vehicle. If you think all there is to Greater Yellowstone are the parks then with all due respect you REALLY need to think again.